Green Veterinary Practice

The idea of ‘going green’ is a topic of our times. Being ‘green’ is so popular right now because of a global need for implemented change. Veterinarians historically have fostered community health by being stewards of the link between human and animal health. Considerations for our profession’s impact on the environment are part of that concept. It is our obligation as veterinarians to minimize the detrimental impact of veterinary medicine on our environment, and we can all play a part!

The goal of the CVMA Green Veterinary Practice initiative is to provide a web-based source of information on how to improve the environmental impact of your veterinary practice and infrastructure. Any change, no matter how simple or complex, will make a difference!

Veterinarians should focus on the reduction of consumption of resources, which includes paying attention to the entire lifecycle of a product, and potential toxic impacts from disposal and use (e.g., mercury in CFC lights). Some green practices represent cost savings that can flow through to the client as ‘green savings’.